Automobile vehicle.



No. 676,223. Patented lune ll, l90l.

- L. H. DYER.,

AUTOMOBILE VEHICLE.

(Application filed Feb. 3, 1900.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-$heet l.

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No. 676,223. Patented lune 1|, lam. L. H. nvzn.

AUTOMOBILE VEHICLE.

(Applipation filed Feb. 3, 1900) 4 Sheets-Shoat 2.

(No Model.)

I i I 1w; nonms vtrzas 00.. PHOTO-LITHO WASHINGTON. n. c.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

L. H. *DYE B.

AUTOMOBILE VEHICLE. A licacibn filed Feb. 3, 1900.

WWW/mm (No Model.)

1770.6 77 for Zw i neaas -No. 676,223. Patented lune ll. l90l.

L. H. DYER.

AUTOMOBILE VEHICLE.

(Application filed Feb. 3, 1900.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

v Evenfor: MM! W fla NITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

LEONARD HUNTRESS DYER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-FOURTH TO FRANK L. DYER, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW

JERSEY.

AUTOMOBILE VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 676,223, dated June 11,1901.

Application filed February 3, 1900. Serial No. 3,879. (No model.)

To coll whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD HUNTRESS DYER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomobileVehicles, (Case No. 13 and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to automobiles and the operating and drivingmechanism therefor.

The invention relates generally to an automobile wherein the source ofpower is an internal-combustion engine, an expansible-vapor engine, orthe like mounted upon a body or running-frame and connected by gearingto the driving-Wheels.

The invention is to be distinguished from an automobile wherein themotor is mounted adjacent to or upon the driving-wheels and in whichgearing of extended length is unnecessary.

In automobile vehicles of the type to which this invention relatesseveral parallel shafts are necessarily employed in order to get therequisite reduction of speed from the rapidlyrevolving engine-shaft tothe slower drivingwheels. The several shafts being mounted in bearingsupon the frame, it is absolutely necessary to have them parallel inorder to prevent the gears from binding. culty has been experienced inproviding a frame sufficiently rigid to properly support the shafts inparallelism and at the same time to be sufficiently light for thedesired pur poses. It has also been found diificult, if not impossible,to provide means whereby the engine and gears could be temporarilyremoved and replaced without dismantling the parts or readjusting theconnections. By my invention I obviate the necessity of having thevehicle-frame suificiently rigid to prevent buckling of the shafts anddisalining the bearin gs, and, in fact, if the exigencies of the casedemand, means whereby the frame may be elastic and yieldable and willgive in every direction may be provided. a

The motor and all the gears appertaining thereto are mounted upon abridge sufficiently rigid to resist buckling and torsion. This bridge ismounted in removable and adj ustable bearings on the side bars of theframe.

Upon the bridge being removed all of the driving mechanism of thevehicle will be removed likewise without dismantling or varying the thiscounter-shaft and the driving-wheels of the vehicle. Upon the bridge andconnected rigidly thereto is the engine or motor and its generativeconnections. If the engine be of the internal-combustion type, theseconnections will consist of the carburetor and muffler, these two latterhaving to be connected to the engine by pipes in which it is difficultto provide flexible joints. If the engine be of the expansible-vaporvariety -as, for instance, a steam-engine-the generator or boiler may bemounted upon the bridge.

The'engine-shaft is of but sufficient length to carry the necessarygears with which connect the gears upon the counter-shaft. I prefer touse gears for two speeds, a high and a low, which are applied byseparate and inde pendent clutches. The gears I prefer to incase, sothat they may run in a bath of oil and be preserved from contact withdust and may run with a minimum of noise. The clutches, on the contrary,I prefer to be outside of the casing, so as not to be in contact withoil. The clutches are so arranged that one lever suffices to connect ordisconnect either.

The bridge carrying the engine, its generative connections, and thenecessary speed reducing and changing gears may be removed or replacedwhenever desired without disman- To the fore-and-aft members is r andits general connections.

tling or varying the adjustment. The parts .may therefore be tested andoperated when removed from the frame of the vehicle, a possibility thatpossesses great practical ad vantages over all forms now in use.

In order to better understand the nature of a sectional view of Fig. 2,taken on the lines 3 3 and looking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig.4 isa sectional view of the outer end of thebridge, showing theremovablefastening 'for'the frame and the outer ball-bearing fortheq-counter-shaft. Fig. 5 is a sectional view thereof, takenon thelines 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig.

6 iisaaxsideview of the running-gear of an automo'bile with the bodythereof in broken lines, and Fig. 7 is a top view thereof.

Inallthe several views like parts are des-f ignatedby the same lettersof reference.

The principal part of the invention con sists of the bridge a, securedby adjustable and removable bearings 17 to the fixed tabletslor supportsb, brazed or otherwise suitably attached in the proper position on theforeeandsaft. members of thevehicle-frame.

'Thespantsb and b, as shown, are attached togetlier-by means of nuts andbolts b passing through -s'lots,.as's,hown in Fig. 5, to allow ofadjustment- This peculiar form of fastening is shown merely for thepurpose of illustration,.and any other form of support may aswell'beemployed.

The, motor (shown conventionally at. c) is rigidly supported upon thebridge, asare 21180 the-carburetor d and the muffler e. As both.carbureter and muffler must be con- 1 16613611 to the engine by means oftubes in;

which itis diflicult to provide for flexibility,

by mounting these organs on the bridge theneedof flexible tubes isobviated andrigid simple connections may be employed.

Ifaneleetric sparkingdevice be used,it may be connected to the motor byflexible wires, asr-will be obvious. If-ia steam-engine be used, theboiler may bezsubstituted'inlieu.of the carbureter d and thetan' k forthe water-supply in lieu of the The solepoint is to makethe operativemechanism entirely independent of the vehicle-body and supported asan,operamuffler e.

tiive entirety on the bridged.

The counter-shaft f is preferably concentrically mounted to turn withinthe bridge a by-means of ball bearings f adjacent to the centerand theouter extremities of the counter-shaft. The shaft is divided andprovided with a. differential f around which is pro videdadrum-for theapplication of the bandbrake. The sprocket-wheels f are keyed towhichthe driving-chains are applied. A part of the bridge adjacent tothe difierential is formed with anenlargement forming a gearcase g. VThe two halves are provided with a dust and oil proof joint 9 and aresecured together by bolts 9 The engine-shaft c is arranged parallel tothe counter-shaft f.. Its free extremity is mounted in the ball-bearing0 depending from a bracket 0 on the bridge a. The engins-shaft carriesthe two clutches and two gears, as shown, each clutch being in thenature of a fly wheel. The gears are constructed as follows: Thehigh-speed gear h is loosely mounted upon the shaft 0' and engages witha small gear f supported upon the differential. The low-speed gear hengages with the corresponding gear f also supported upon thedifferential. The gears h and h are formed upon the moieties 't'. 'i ofthe friction-clutches. These portions 7; and i" may be made to engagewith the fixed parts 2' and 11 keyed to the engine-shaft c. Thebearing-faces of the two clutch members i are staggered, as shown, tomake them more efficient. The two clutches are applied or disengaged bymeans of the single lever j, pivoted to lugs j, formed upon one face ofthe gear-box 9. One extremity of the lever j is bifurcated atj andconnects with a ring 3' mounted in ball-bearings on the hub of themoving clutch member 2'. The ball-race j and the lock-nutj serve toadjust the several parts of the bearing.

The gear h is provided with a protuberance h which may be made to engagewith the face of the-gear h by sliding the gear'h a considerabledistance to the left. Such sliding motion will first free the gear hfrom mesh with its partner f 5 and will then engage withthegear 71,moving it bodily to the left and engaging its movable clutch member t'with thefixed member i A reverse movement of the gear h will firstdisengage the clutch and then slip .the gear it into mesh withits'partner f The motion to the right being continued, the two halves z"and i of 'the second clutch will be brought into engagement, which willoperate the low-speed gear. By this arrangement when the high-speed gearis in use, as it is most of the time, the low-speed gear is entirelydisconnected. I-am also able by this .arrangement to do away with thenecessity of employing sliding feathers or keyways, as is usuallynecessary in changeable gears.

The gears h and h are covered by a cap 9 secured by the bolts as shown.

17 is a lug into which is bolted one of the thrust-rodsto the rear axle.

Having now described and ascertained the nature of my invention, what I'claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an automobile vehicle, a rigid bridge therefor, carrying the motorand its operatthe outer extremities-of the counter-shaft to ing partsthereon, self-contained, and a shaft therein, and connections betweenthe motor and shaft.

2. In an automobile vehicle, a removable rigid bridge therefor, carryingthe motor and its operating parts thereon, self-contained, and a shafttherein, and connections between the motor and shaft.

3. In an automobile vehicle, a rigid bridge therefor, a counter-shafttherein, gears on the counter-shaft, a gear-case surrounding the gears,a motor and its operating parts carried by the bridge, a motor-shaft,gears on said motor-shaft inside the gear-case, and clutches on saidmotor-shaft outside of the gear-case.

4.. In an automobile vehicle, a'removable rigid bridge therefor, acounter-shaft therein, gears on the counter-shaft, a gear-casesurrounding the gears, a motor and its operating parts carried by thebridge, a motor-shaft,

gears on said motor-shaft inside the gear-case,

and clutches on said motor-shaft outside of the gear-case.

5. In an automobile vehicle, a removable rigid bridge therefor, formedof two parts with a connecting-casing, a counter-shaft within thebridge, gears on the counter-shaft within the casing, a motor and itsoperating parts carried by the bridge, a motor-shaft, gears on saidmotor-shaft inside of the gearcasing, and clutches on the motor-shaftoutside of the casing.

6. In an automobile vehicle, a removable rigid bridge therefor, acounter-shaft therein, gears on the counter-shaft, a motor and itsoperating parts carried by the bridge, a motor-shaft, clutch membersrigidly keyed to said shaft, gears loosely mounted on said shaft,-withintegrally-formed clutch members, and means for engaging said clutchmembers.

rigid bridge therefor, formed of two parts,

with a connectingcasing, a counter shaft within the bridge, gears on thecounter-shaft within the casing, a motor and its operating parts carriedby the bridge, a motor-shaft, clutch members rigidly keyed to saidmotorshaft, gears loosely mounted on said motor shaft within the casingand carrying clutch members outside the casing, and means for engagingsaid clutch members.

9. In an automobile vehicle, a removable rigid bridge therefor, formedof two parts, with a connectingcasing, a counter-shaft within thebridge, gears on the counter-shaft within the casing, a motor and itsoperating parts carried by the bridge, a motor-shaft, clutch membersrigidly keyed to said motorshaft, gears loosely mounted on saidmotorshaft within the casing and carrying clutch members outside thecasing, and a single shifting lever connected to one movable clutchmember whereby either of said clutches may be engaged.

This specification signed and witnessed this 3d day of February, 1900.

LEONARD HUNTRESS DYER.

\Vitnesses:

ALEXANDER S. STEUART, M. A. MoLEon.

